IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Real quarterly GDP increases by 4,9 percent in the second quarter of 2006 following an increase of 4,0 percent (revised from 4,2 percent) in the first quarter of 2006.

The seasonally adjusted real GDP at market prices for the second quarter of 2006, compared with the first quarter of 2006, increased by an annualised rate of 4,9 percent. The corresponding increases for the respective quarters of 2005 were 4,6 percent, 5,3 percent , 4,1 percent and 3,2 percent , yielding an annual growth rate of 4,9 percent in real GDP at market prices.

The main contributors to the increase in economic activity for the second quarter of 2006 were the finance, real estate and business services industry (1,7 of a percentage point); the manufacturing industry (1,0 of a percentage point); the wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants industry (0,9 of percentage point); the transport and communication industry (0,6 of a percentage point) and the construction industry (0,4 of a percentage point).

The seasonally adjusted real annualised value added by the non-agricultural industries (excluding the impact of the volatile agriculture industry) for the second quarter of 2006 increased by 5,8 percent. The corresponding growth rates for the primary industries of the economy is a decrease of 8,6 percent, for the secondary industries it is an increase of 6,9 percent and for the tertiary industries an increase 5,6 percent.

The unadjusted real GDP at market prices for the second quarter of 2006 increased by 3,6 percent compared with the second quarter of 2005. The corresponding increase for the respective quarters of 2005 were 5,5 percent, 4,8 percent , 4,9 percent and 4,4 percent. The estimate of GDP for the first six months of 2006 compared with the corresponding period in 2005, is 3,8 percent.